It's not a record but full marks for trying - 37 Cambodians in a minivan!

[webfact]

It's not a record but full marks for trying - 37 Cambodians in a minivan!

 

Pictures: Daily News

 

ARANYAPRATHET: -- It may not have broken any records but it was a fair effort all the same. Soldiers early Thursday morning found 37 Cambodian workers packed like sardines into the back of a Toyota van.

 

The soldiers made the arrest in downtown Aranyaprathet after a tip off. There were 24 men. 11 women, and two kids for good measure, reports Daily News.

 

Some 25 had pink permission to work cards but the rest did not. 

 

Those illegals and the driver - Songwut Sosongchan, 27 - were carted off to the police station. Songwut said he was just the deliveryman and was paid 1,500 to transport his human cargo.

 

 

The illegal workers said through an interpreter that they didn't know where they were headed exactly - they were due to be met in the countryside by a Cambodian man who they would pay 2,500 baht and who would then take them to their place of work.

 

The ones with the pink forms were taken elsewhere to have their credentials checked to make sure they were genuine.

 

Some weeks back more than forty workers were found in a minivan, a story that did the rounds in the UK press.

 

Source: Daily News

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2016-11-11

[CelticBhoy]

Just like one of those clown cars  . . . 

[dddave]

Reminds me of the 1960's when college fraternities vied to see how many students they could stuff into a VW Beetle.

[Thaiwrath]

 

I see an opportunity for selling roof racks over in Cambodia !

[arithai12]

What record? I have seen those minivans packing 12 big farangs.

[LoZth]

21 minutes ago, Thaiwrath said:

 

I see an opportunity for selling roof racks over in Cambodia !

 

Too late mate, have you not seen the vans with the dented roofs and the grab handles in Cambodia?

 

[dotpoom]

I can see by the posters that none of them ever had to virtually go through hell to improve the quality of their lives and for the betterment of their families back home. 

[lee b]

1 hour ago, arithai12 said:

What record? I have seen those minivans packing 12 big farangs.

Yeah been on a few, from CM to Nong Khai. Never ever again, it was difficult to breath

[Tarteso]

It's a shame and make me feel sad... And everything for a plate of rice, almost all with an uncertain future. For sure tomorrow again The VAN must go on, like every days, on any roads of this country.

[johnhw]

1 hour ago, arithai12 said:

What record? I have seen those minivans packing 12 big farangs.

I spend 7 months of the year in FarangLand, North America, and I believe you are out of touch. From my observations, you would have a hard time fitting 2 big farangs in a minivan.

[Thaiwrath]

25 minutes ago, johnhw said:

I spend 7 months of the year in FarangLand, North America, and I believe you are out of touch. From my observations, you would have a hard time fitting 2 big farangs in a minivan.

 

????????????????

Does that include the driver ?

[elgordo38]

55 minutes ago, Tarteso said:

It's a shame and make me feel sad... And everything for a plate of rice, almost all with an uncertain future. For sure tomorrow again The VAN must go on, like every days, on any roads of this country.

Slavery is far from dead but takes different forms venues and roadways. Yes all for  plate of rice. How sad. We may yet see rice lines elsewhere in the world. 

[johnhw]

15 minutes ago, Thaiwrath said:

 

????????????????

Does that include the driver ?

At the circumference, intake and general gluttony rate of the past decade, yes.

[freebyrd]

When your wife is Khmer, from a poor background and you personally see things like this all too often, jibes and sick jokes from well heeled Caucasians are at the very least, in very bad taste. Some people need to take a long hard look in the mirror and remember just how lucky they are that they were born in developed countries and aren't forced into similar situations.

 

I can assure you 'comedians' that these unfortunate people didn't have the option of business, economy class or 'expensive' bus travel.

Edited November 11, 2016 by freebyrd

[johnhw]

2 minutes ago, freebyrd said:

When your wife is Khmer, from a poor background and you personally see things like this all too often, jibes and sick jokes from well heeled Caucasians is at the very least, in very bad taste. Some people need to take a long hard look in the mirror and remember just how lucky they are they that they were born in developed countries and aren't forced into similar situations.

 

I can assure you 'comedians' that these unfortunate people didn't have the option of business, economy class or 'expensive' bus travel.

For many on too many of these strings, "comedians" is too kind a description

[freebyrd]

8 minutes ago, johnhw said:

For many on too many of these strings, "comedians" is too kind a description

 

Thanks for that. What I would really like to say would get me banned.

[ThaiFelix]

Last time my wife took one of these vans to Isaan they sat her in the first row of the back of the van.  I refused to let them take her until they moved her to the back because they put a motorbike (not tied down) in front of her knees.  I tried to explain to the driver the serious safety consequences if he had an accident or even braked suddenly.  He just shrugged his shoulders.  My wife told me best not to cause any problems because most of these vans are owned by police!!  After that I refused to let her go in one of these vans again.

[johnhw]

2 minutes ago, ThaiFelix said:

Last time my wife took one of these vans to Isaan they sat her in the first row of the back of the van.  I refused to let them take her until they moved her to the back because they put a motorbike (not tied down) in front of her knees.  I tried to explain to the driver the serious safety consequences if he had an accident or even braked suddenly.  He just shrugged his shoulders.  My wife told me best not to cause any problems because most of these vans are owned by police!!  After that I refused to let her go in one of these vans again.

Sure would be great if these 37 Cambodians all had a responsible, conscientious relative like you with the wherewithal to do the same.

[freebyrd]

2 minutes ago, johnhw said:

Sure would be great if these 37 Cambodians all had a responsible, conscientious relative like you with the wherewithal to do the same.

 

Khmers are a lovely people, but they have to take a pragmatic view on life. We should all remember how long it took for the west to develop to a reasonable level of sophistication. The only example that immediartely springs to mind, off subject, I apologise for that, is in England, my country, 140 years ago we still hung 9 year old boys for stealing a loaf of bread - most assuredly because the child had to.......

[trogers]

Should have taken a boat to the EU...

[ThaiFelix]

9 minutes ago, johnhw said:

Sure would be great if these 37 Cambodians all had a responsible, conscientious relative like you with the wherewithal to do the same.

Oh I agree wholeheartedly but my main point was that the people who own these vans, if correct,  should not only know better but should be setting an example to others.

[Cuchulainn]

Personally I don't think this humourous at all. Could well have been a different headline "37 Cambodians killed in minivan smash"

[Tarteso]

8 minutes ago, freebyrd said:

 

Khmers are a lovely people, but they have to take a pragmatic view on life. We should all remember how long it took for the west to develop to a reasonable level of sophistication. The only example that immediartely springs to mind, off subject, I apologise for that, is in England, my country, 140 years ago we still hung 9 year old boys for stealing a loaf of bread - most assuredly because the child had to.......

I agree, but for Khmers can learn to be pragmatic in the view of life, first they need the plate of rice.

[freebyrd]

5 minutes ago, Tarteso said:

I agree, but for Khmers can learn to be pragmatic in the view of life, first they need the plate of rice.

Which was exactly my point.

 

[jaltsc]

"Soldiers early Thursday morning found 37 Cambodian workers packed like sardines into the back of a Toyota van."

 

Most likely the only reason it caught anyone's attention was that it was van and it was night time. Otherwise it could pass for for an ordinary school song tao. Well a school song tao that had unloaded half of its child passengers. 

Edited November 11, 2016 by jaltsc

[DerringDo]

Depressing.

[johnhw]

34 minutes ago, ThaiFelix said:

Oh I agree wholeheartedly but my main point was that the people who own these vans, if correct,  should not only know better but should be setting an example to others.

 I agree wholeheartedly also,  but unless I've injected my own  cynicism, I read  the main point on this particular string is not what the safety rules should be, but that some in this world cannot afford even a semblance of our western safety demands.

2nd issue for me is the sad number on these strings of either xenophobic bigots,  or people simply to privaledged, entitled, or too moronic to recognise the need for empathy.

[tonywillo]

4 hours ago, arithai12 said:

What record? I have seen those minivans packing 12 big farangs.

Correction 13. The mini bus from Pattaya to Bangkok I went on Wednesday had 13 seats with seat belts. 4 rows x 3 + 1 up front. not sure if there was provision for 4 in the back seat so maybe it's 14? Anyway felt OK for this normal sized 180cm farang! 

[wvavin]

The various TV stations sgould seriously considering hosting a reality show on site. Definitely sells!

[Basil B]

I am sure Thais can more than that on a small motorbike...